The Pleasure of Poetry: Reading and Enjoying British Poetry from Donne to BurnsThe poetry produced by the British poets of the 17th and 18th centuries is considered to be among the best ever written. But many general readers feel intimidated by the language or structure of the poetry, and so tend to shy away from enjoying these poets and their works. Nelson takes readers on a tour of the major works and figures of 17th- and 18th-century British poetry, explaining major themes, devices, styles, language, rhythm, sound, tone, imagery, form, and meaning. Beginning each chapter with a sketch of the poet's life and career, the author then looks at five or six representative works, helping readers understand and appreciate the beauty of poetry itself. |
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... Light " of the " Heav'nly Muse " to celebrate , in a sense , his own escape from Hell to the regions nearer the light of God , mourning his limitation as a blind bard , who has , he feels , only a weakened physical and spiritual ...
... light , and light was over all " ; Why am I thus bereav'd thy prime decree ? ( 80-85 ) Samson has lost all hope , not only physically but also spiritually . God is completely missing from his life , the light of day having been totally ...
... light . ( 1-11 ) Human reason is compared to the reflected light of the moon and stars , a faint and uncertain guide to our feet along the dark and solitary path of life . In these similes Dryden suggests that reason's function is only ...
Contents
Introduction to Reading Poetry | 1 |
Poet of Secular and Sacred Love | 19 |
Elegist Satirist and Moralist | 37 |
Copyright | |
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The Pleasure of Poetry: Reading and Enjoying British Poetry from Donne to Burns Nicolas H. Nelson No preview available - 2006 |